Major ISPs Ordered to Block Blacklisted Online Casino Game Sites in Serbia

The Serbian government’s Serbian Gaming Board, which introduced an online gambling licensing regime last year, has ordered major ISPs to block seventy blacklisted or unlicensed online casino games sites in the country.

The list includes some of the best online casino sites, such as Betfair, Bwin, Bet365, Mybet, Skybet, 888, William Hill, Bet-at-home and Ladbrokes. The Serbian Gaming Board says that if illegal operations continue, other regulators would be asked for cooperation.

Upon receiving the news, the ISPs consulted with company lawyers. They have yet to issue a response. Vojislav Rodic, Director of INet and a former president of the Association of Internet Providers, said that such orders are obligatory to obey only if there is approval by the judiciary.

Aleksandar Vulović, a director of the Serbian Gaming Board, explained the move, "We had to prevent access to illegal gambling in order to have a regulated market. Players who operate within the law and from within the state can reap benefits.” He continued, “Currently the provision of games of chance via the internet is one of the most profitable industries and it is estimated that the revenue will double by 2013. It is simply wrong and no longer legal, that the state does not collect a penny of the millions circulating within this industry".

JAKTA, a trade association representing Serbian online casino games operators, land based casinos, slot machine and gambling equipment manufacturers, and a major supporter of the new bill issued a statement that said that the association had conducted careful research and presented convincing evidence for legalization to the country's politicians. JAKTA had in the past also suggested that new online gambling licenses should be issued for a period of up to ten years.